Downhole lithium detection by accumulation

Abstract

Detection and quantification of elements of interest, such as lithium and manganese, in a subterranean aqueous material is described herein. A selective sorbent material is introduced to a subterranean location having an aqueous material to contact the aqueous material. The selective sorbent material is recovered from the subterranean location and an amount of an element of interest in the recovered selective sorbent material is determined.

1 . A method, comprising:
 introducing a selective sorbent material that selectively captures an element of interest into contact with an aqueous formation material at a subterranean location;   recovering the selective sorbent material; and   determining an amount of the element of interest in the recovered selective sorbent material.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the introducing a selective sorbent material into contact with an aqueous formation material at a subterranean location comprises dispersing a solid particulate selective sorbent material into a carrier fluid to form a treatment mixture and pumping the treatment mixture into a well. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising circulating the selective sorbent material to a diversion point within the well and recovering the selective sorbent material at the surface. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining an amount of the element of interest in the recovered selective sorbent material comprises disposing the selective sorbent material into an extraction fluid, extracting the element of interest from the selective sorbent into the extraction fluid to form an extract, and determining a concentration of the element of interest in the extract. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising determining a parameter related to a concentration of the element of interest in the aqueous formation material based on the concentration of the element of interest in the extract. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising dispersing one or more temperature sensors into the carrier fluid, wherein recovering the selective sorbent material comprises recovering a sample containing a portion of the selective sorbent material and at least one temperature sensor. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising dispersing one or more temperature sensors into the carrier fluid, wherein recovering the selective sorbent material comprises recovering a sample containing a portion of the selective sorbent material and at least one temperature sensor, wherein determining the parameter is based on a temperature sensed by the at least one temperature sensor. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein determining the parameter is also based on a flow rate of the treatment material in the well. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the selective sorbent material is a first selective sorbent material, the subterranean location is a first subterranean location, and the amount of the element of interest in the first selective sorbent material is a first amount, and further comprising:
 introducing a second selective sorbent material into contact with the aqueous formation material at a second subterranean location;   recovering the second selective sorbent material; and   determining a second amount of the element of interest in the second selective sorbent material.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein determining the parameter related to the concentration of the element of interest in the aqueous formation material is also based on the second amount. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the carrier fluid is a drilling fluid. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the selective sorbent material is configured to capture a first element of interest and a second element of interest, and wherein determining the amount of the element of interest comprises determining an amount of the first element of interest in the selective sorbent material and determining an amount of the second element of interest in the selective sorbent material. 
     
     
         13 . A method comprising:
 introducing a plurality of selective sorbent materials that selectively capture one or more elements of interest into contact with an aqueous formation material at a plurality of subterranean locations;   recovering the plurality of selective sorbent materials; and   determining an amount of at least an element of interest of the one or more elements of interest in each of the recovered selective sorbent materials.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising logging a parameter related to a concentration of a selected element of interest of the one or more elements of interest in the aqueous formation material based on the amount of the selected element of interest in each of the recovered selective sorbent materials. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the element of interest is lithium. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the element of interest is lithium.